300 possible victims in Savile abuse scandal

Savile was known for his distinctive platinum hair, shiny tracksuits and ever-present cigar.

Getty: Bryn Lennon

British police say they are now considering the cases of 300 potential victims of child abuse by late BBC television presenter Jimmy Savile.

Police say they are staggered by the number of people who may have been abused by Savile, a now disgraced household name in the UK.

Some of the allegations involve other abusers who may have acted with the entertainer, Commander Peter Spindler of London's Metropolitan Police said.

All but two of the alleged victims are female.

The inquiry, which has plunged the BBC into crisis, is a "watershed" moment in the investigation of child abuse in Britain, Commander Spindler said.

Police said they had spoken to 130 of the 300 victims who had come forward and formally recorded 114 crimes.

They are speaking to victims initially by telephone before formally interviewing them.

Commander Spindler said the extent of the inquiry was "quite staggering".

He did not say who else might have been involved, but lawyers representing some of the victims, several of whom were as young as eight when the abuse occurred, said their clients had indicated a paedophile ring involving other celebrities had existed at the BBC during the height of Savile's fame in the 1970s and 1980s.

The BBC has been thrown into disarray by accusations it helped cover up sexual abuse by Savile, and has struggled to explain why one of its own shows killed an investigation into it.

Commander Spindler said at this stage there was no evidence of an organised paedophile ring.

Known for his distinctive platinum hair, shiny tracksuits and ever-present cigar, Savile was one of Britain's top broadcasters and presented a string of programs that brought him into contact with children.

He also earned millions of dollars for various charities.

But the abuse allegations that emerged since he died at the age of 84 in October 2011 have destroyed his reputation.

The BBC has launched two inquiries into the scandal.

Earlier on Thursday British newspapers reported that police investigating the Savile case had been passed the names of three doctors accused of sexually abusing children.

The doctors worked at hospitals where Savile is also alleged to have molested young and vulnerable patients while carrying out charity work, the Guardian and the Daily Mail newspapers reported.